How Apple is pushing ubiquitous computing with the iPhone 7

I get that why people are complaining about Apple removing the headphone jack with the iPhone 7, but I think they should not. By removing the headphone jack Apple wants people to use its wireless headphones called AirPods. One of their key features are built in controls which can be used to activate Siri without taking your phone out. I have described here why wireless headphones are amazing, in regards to the iPhone and Apple in general they transferring parts of your iPhone into your ear. It is true that you can achieve the same with wired earphones as well but by making them wireless they are firstly, less intrusive and secondly they automatically connect to iPads, Macs and the Apple Watch. I have used wireless headphones before and after a while you start using your phone’s hardware less but your phone’s software (e.g. Siri) more and the phone as itself is merging more and more into the background of your life. Even though your phone might not be physically present, your phone’s functions are. For example, you can leave your phone in the bedroom and use have a phone call in another room. Your phone’s functions are everywhere, they ubiquitous. Another interesting aspect that makes them always here — everywhere — is that they are always on and do not have an on/off button as Ben Evan pointed out on his blog)

But Apple has been on that way for quite a long time already. Besides the obvious omnipresence through iPad, Mac, Watch and iPhone they have been pushing a decentralized but connected computing system with Handoff and Siri on Mac. Handoff is a feature that allows you to start working on one device and continue working on it on another. For example, you might start tipping an e-mail on your iPhone and finish it on your Mac. If you are further using iCloud (or any other cloud storage) you can easily have your files synced between the devices and work on that e-email wherever — everywhere — you want. (With a recent update you can, by the way, also share your clipboard.). Virtual desktop Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) providers such as vmware take this to the next level by providing you a full operating system in the cloud.

So, by removing the headphone jack and pushing users towards wireless headphones Apple is aiming at making sure that you can now access all the functions of all your devices all the time and in some instances by actually using your devices less.